and in consideration that Mr. Quinton Malcolm the person chiefly employed by Mr. Alexander Malcolm the master in teaching scholars of this school is at present a dancing master and appears not to be a person of pious and exemplary life and conversation and in further consideration that the said master's advanced age and infirmities and the duty of his functions will not permit him to give the necessary attendance do determine to remove said Alexander Malcolm from being any longer master and do acquaint him therewith and do demand of him possession of said school and of the books and instruments thereto belonging which he, the said Mr. Malcolm refuses to give.

"March 1, 1759: As the visitors find there are no scholars belonging to the school which appears to them to be owing to the non-attendance and mismanagement of the present master resolved to remove said master from the school on the first day of May next being the end of his year with which said master being present was made acquainted (Mr. James Holliday dissents).

"May 5, 1759: Pursuant to a resolve of the 1st of March last the visitors demand of Mr. Alexander Malcolm possession of the school together with the books, instruments, maps, charts and globes thereto belonging which said Mr. Malcolm refused to give. The visitors then requested to inspect the books and instruments to which Mr. Malcolm consented, and upon inspection found the several books, maps, charts and globes as delivered to said Mr. Malcolm on his admission into the school as master, except a Gunters Quadrant and Peartree and a book called "Moxom on the Globes." The visitors again demand possession of the school which is still refused by said Mr. Malcolm. The visitors then proceed to put the books and goods of Mr. Malcolm's out of the chool house and deliver said books at the door of the dwelling house of said Malcolm which books said Mr. Malcolm received or permitted his family to receive into said house. The visitors then acquainted Mr. Malcolm that they incline to let him stay on and use the plantation belonging unto the school until Christmas next, paying a reasonable rent to which Mr. Malcolm replied when rent was due they the visitors would have a right to demand it.

On Mr. Malcolm's still refusing to deliver the key of said school house door the visitors nailed up said door and adjourned."

Rev. Alexander Malcolm was allowed to remain in the dwelling although affairs were still unsettled. In a short time thereafter the visitors elected him a member of their body. This brought on an animated correspondence but did not settle the dispute, which was not settled until the death of Mr. Malcolm.

The correspondence is as follows:

"Gentlemen: Being acquainted with your designed meeting on Wednesday next, I would have waited upon you, had I not been obliged to set off this day for Annapolis, and can't be home until the end of the week. I presume the design of your calling upon me (which I expected more than a year ago) is to have my answer to what you proposed as to my qualifying for a visitor. Tho I have no reason to be fond of the employment, yet would not decline an office wherein I thought I could be useful: But it would be inconsistent for me to become a member of your Society, before the accompt between us is settled. There is a years salary due me preceding the first of May 1759 (when that extraordinary transaction happened of your illegal violence in turning my books out of the school house and nailing it up)-As to the possession I kept of the dwelling house; I had a legal right to it, unless they are grossly mistaken who know these things better than I do; and am told that I have a just claim for the salary, the year following, tile I voluntarily gave up the possession and to several articles disbursed by me before the school was shut up. But as I love peace and am averse to differences, as to keep up and widen the indecent coldness and distance too observable betwixt us occasioned by this affair, I am willing to drop ale pretences, except to the years salary before May 1759; To which I can't conceive there lies any objection; If you'le do me justice in this we shall release one another; and when you think fitt to have another meeting (which I wish were at furthest Wednesday next week, because after that I sett out upon a longer journey) I'le wait upon you: In the meantime I desire you would leave for me with Mr.

McKinnon an answer to what I have here proposed, That I may know what I have to do-I am Gentlemen,

Sept. 28, 1761.

Your most humble servant,

(Signed) Alexander Malcolm."

"Upon consideration of the matters mentioned in the aforegoing letter, the visitors acquaint Mr. Malcolm that they do not look upon themselves justifyable in paying him any salary more than to the fifteenth day of June 1758, agreeable to an offer formerly made him and entered in the Register; and further acquaint him that they do demand a reasonable rent for the houses and plantation belonging to the said school from the said fifteenth day of June tile the time he gave up the possession thereof; upon which said Mr. Malcolm sayd, he denyed the payment of any; and turned about and left the visitors in a very abrupt manner, not affording an opportunity for anything further to pass between them."

During the latter part of the controversy Daniel McKinnon was master. He was followed by William Kean, who was to teach the Latin and Greek languages and "to promise as soon as possible a person suitable to teach reading, writing, arithmetic and the common branches of the mathematics."

Mr. Kean evidently was a sporting gentleman and lived a life that required more pounds than his modest salary as school teacher put at his disposal. He makes large debts and leaves the county, is dismissed as master but is finally reinstated, upon the following terms as set forth by the register.

"The visitors considering that Mr. Kean has closely applied himself since their last meeting has now got lodging in a sober family and has indented himself to serve Messrs. Anthony McCulloh and Nathan Samuel Tyrbutt Wright until by his salary as Master of this school he shall satisfy all his creditors by which means there will be such check upon him as the visitors are in hopes will restrain him from running into any immoralities he may be prone to and the visitors being persuaded that the said William

Kean may be greatly useful as master of the said school, provided he can restrain himself determine still to continue him master upon the terms on which he was admitted."

John Doherty was the next master and remained for only one year, when on April 23, 1767, Luther Martin was admitted as master for one year and is to be paid twenty pounds lawful currency. Martin paid very little attention to the school for it was during his incumbency that the boys became too free in the use of the gun and fell into bad habits about their pronunciation. He was publicly reprimanded in the presence of the scholars. He remained for about two years, just when and why he left is not known, because the page which would, and possibly did contain this information, is torn in half and part removed from the book. It is said that Martin spent most of his time in drinking and finally left the county because his attention to a daughter of a prominent planter was very objectionable. This Martin is Maryland's great lawyer and the one who defended Aaron Burr.

Mr. Joseph Potter is the last master before the Revolution, and he seems to have made a great success of the school. He was first admitted with the usual salary of twenty pounds and a promise of more if the school flourished. This it evidently did, as we find an entry showing an increase to thirty pounds. The last colonial meeting was Nov. 13, 1776 at which time the visitors adjourned to meet at Queenstown the Thursday in November Court.

This meeting was not held and we find a blank in the proceedings during this stormy period. Owing to the unsettled conditions of the country the school evidently was closed and from the records we gather that it was not reopened until after the surrender of Cornwallis in 1781.

The first teacher after the Revolution was Alexander Irvins, who was appointed "at a salary of forty pounds Spanish milled dollars at 7-6 each per annum, he running the hazard of the money being in the treasury at the end of the year." Mr. Irvins evidently found he was running great hazard of the money being in the treasury for he remained only about a year.

A teacher was then advertised for and the following was sent

to a "Wm. Hemsley," Esq., with the request to have him insert and continue it for four weeks in the Pennsylvania Journal:

"Whereas a master is wanted in Queen Anne's County free school, any gentleman who can teach the English, Latin and Greek languages, reading, writing and arithmetic will meet with encouragement by applying to the visitors of said school; 100 acres of land belong to said school about 60 whereof are under good fence with a good dwelling house 40 x 22 feet, two rooms below stairs and as many above, a cellar under one half of the house and two small out houses besides the school house which is large and commodious, situate in a thick settled neighborhood where are a good number of children.

Dec. 11, 1782.

Signed per order

Edward Downes, Register.

The invitation did not seem to bring any master for in 1785 "Mr. Clayton is requested to write a letter of invitation to a Mr. McGraw of Baltimore town to take charge of the school." Mr. McGraw did not come and one Mr. Wm. Rogers is admitted as

master.

The support of the school as derived from the original act was from some moneys already in the hands of the treasurers of the Eastern and Western Shores. In addition to this, money was raised by laying "an additional duty of 20 shillings current money per poll on all Irish servants being Papist, to prevent the growth of popery by the importation of too great number of them into the province and an additional 20 shillings per poll on all negroes imported into the province." The County made a levy for the support of the school and certain fines when collected were due the school. Among these were the fines for killing deer and the fines imposed for a white person marrying a colored person. If these fines were not paid the persons guilty were sold and the money derived from the sale was paid the school.

It is interesting to note the line of study prescribed by the visitors, and if they insisted that all the books which they order be used, there is no wonder they found it difficult to procure